Playing poker online could be reviving its Nevadan scene.
In the early 2010s, online poker grew popular in Nevada as both Strip and local casinos saw a need and began offering poker rooms on-site. The state's lawmakers also looked for methods to increase online poker play and bring in more money for local businesses.
The argument put forward by those in favor of the idea was that once addicts started playing the game online, they would eventually end up at casinos, where they could play poker, wager on other games, and even purchase food.
Because they can't read one other's body language from thousands of miles away, internet poker players need unique skills compared to their live room counterparts.
After much discussion in the legislature, Assembly Bill 114 was signed into law by then-Gov. Brian Sandoval on February 21, 2013. According to bookie pay per head reviews and news sites, proponents of the state's first foray into online gaming said that poker would attract players because it pits them against one another rather than the house, which receives a cut of the winnings from each hand.
In April 2013, Station Casinos launched Ultimate Poker, making it the state's first regulated online poker licensee. Five months later, Caesars Entertainment, the owner of the World Series of Poker brand, launched WSOP.com. Launched in February 2014, Michael Gaughan's Real Gaming Online Poker failed to gain much momentum.